2026 World Cup Final: Spain faces Argentina at MetLife Stadium

Argentina as Defending Champion

The 39-year-old Messi sent an emotional message to his team on Instagram before the final. He wrote: "Egal, was morgen passiert, diese Gruppe hat bereits eine Geschichte geschrieben, die wir nie vergessen werden - eine, die niemand auslöschen kann. AUF GEHT'S ARGENTINIEN". The photo showed the entire Argentine squad along with the coaching staff. In another post, Messi wrote: "Vielen Dank an alle meine Teamkollegen, den Trainerstab und alle, die jeden Tag daran arbeiten, dass diese Nationalmannschaft eine Familie bleibt."

His potentially final major appearance in the national jersey gains additional weight from the statistics. After Brazil's Cafú, Messi is only the second player in football history to have played in three World Cup finals. More than one billion people worldwide are expected to be watching, according to the organizers.

Spain's Path to the Final

On the Spanish side, the situation is considered wide open. Spain, coached by Luis de la Fuente, arrives as the reigning European champion. The team played in the tournament without a classic center forward, unlike France with Kylian Mbappé or England with Harry Kane. In the semifinal, Spain defeated France 2-0; Pedro Porro scored the second goal. The Spanish federation subsequently spoke of "Pedro Porros WM". Overall, the Spanish team conceded only one goal in the entire tournament.

The 26-year-old Pedro Porro, who scored two tournament goals, is part of the squad along with Mikel Oyarzabal, who, at 29, is Spain's top scorer with five goals. Aymeric Laporte, 32, forms a central defensive partnership with the 19-year-old Pau Cubarsí that has been compared in Spanish media to Sergio Ramos and Gerard Piqué. Cubarsí plays for FC Barcelona; coach Hansi Flick praised his match readiness. Behind them stands Unai Simón as the number one goalkeeper ahead of Arsenal's David Raya. Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, returned in time for the knockout rounds after a torn cruciate ligament and won the 2024 FIFA World Player of the Year award as well as the European Championship.

Key Players on Both Teams

In the second semifinal, Argentina defeated England 2-1. Messi set up the opening goal with a cross from his right foot, after previously dribbling past Harry Kane and being fouled by Elliot Anderson. Alexis Mac Allister, who is under contract with Liverpool, hit the post twice. Emiliano Martínez, the 33-year-old goalkeeper for Aston Villa, already became a key figure in 2022 and was named FIFA World Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 and 2024. Cristian Romero plays for Tottenham Hotspur, and Lisandro Martínez (28) scored an important goal against Cape Verde.

The personal relationship between Messi and the 19-year-old Lamine Yamal goes far back. Nineteen years ago, Messi, then a player at FC Barcelona, photographed the infant Yamal in a blue baby bathtub for a UNICEF charity calendar. Yamal, who plays in Barcelona, and Rodri both rediscovered their form during the knockout rounds. Messi himself sits in second place in the tournament's scoring chart.

A Special Personal Connection

The backstory of the encounter goes even further back. On July 13, 1966, Argentina defeated Spain 2-1 in the group stage of the World Cup in England – the only meeting between the two teams at a World Cup to date. Since then, Spain and Argentina have participated in every World Cup but have not faced each other again. The last friendly match dates back eight years, when Spain beat an Argentine side without the injured Messi 6-1.

One person experiencing the current final as a special TV constellation is Argentine commentator Andrés Cantor, who is covering the final for the U.S. broadcaster Telemundo – his tenth World Cup as a commentator. In Austria, former Norwegian national team player Jan Åge Fjørtoft is also covering the tournament as a TV expert for ServusTV; Fjørtoft participated in the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

Refereeing discussions have accompanied the tournament since the quarterfinal of Euro 2024, when Spain's Marc Cucurella blocked a shot from Jamal Musiala with his arm against Germany, but no whistle was blown. Spain won 2-1 after extra time and became European champion. Cucurella later told the Italian sports newspaper "Gazzetta dello Sport" about the scene: "Mamma mia!". UEFA subsequently acknowledged that a penalty should have been awarded. At the current tournament, Cucurella provided three assists and half a goal that was later credited as an own goal against Saudi Arabia.

Historical Parallels and Refereeing Questions

A historical comparison is compelling: In the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal in Mexico, Argentina's captain Diego Armando Maradona scored a goal with his hand against England; the referee did not call the foul, as video review did not exist at the time. Argentina won 2-1 and became world champion. After the match, Maradona said of his goal: "Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios". Refereeing technology was also in focus in 2026.

Messi himself articulated the meaning of the journey regardless of the result: "Das Beste an all diesen Jahren waren nicht nur die Titel, sondern die gesamte Reise. Den Alltag mit dieser Gruppe teilen, gemeinsam an Wettkämpfen teilnehmen, in schwierigen Zeiten wieder auf die Beine kommen und jeden Schritt des Weges genießen". Spain, whose nickname "La Furia Roja" dates back to the fighting style at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, now wants to add the World Cup title to its European championship.

The Spanish expression "¡Hostia!" – literally the host of the Catholic Mass – aptly describes the tension before such a final, in which surprise and drama seem possible in any direction. Should the match not be decided in regular time, the author of this column expects extra time of 120 minutes.

For Messi, it would be the third World Cup final after 2014 and 2022; for Yamal, it is the first major final in the national jersey. The personal story of the two players, which began 19 years ago with a baby photo in a blue bathtub, comes together on this evening in East Rutherford – before the eyes of a billion-strong audience.